Rotary disk sharpener



July .6 1926; 1,591,469

J. c. CONN ROTARY DISK SHARPENER Filed'se t, 15, 1925 C INVENTOR JM %aATTORNEY Patented July 6, 1926.

JOSEPH C. CONN, 0F BOON'ION, NEW JERSEY.

ROTARY DISK SHARPENER.

Application filed September 16, 1925.

The present invention relates to an improvement in sharpeners and isespecially applicable to the household knife sharpeners now in commonuse, one common type of which ordinarily comprises a disk carrier orhousing having two sets of rotatable disks mounted with edge portions ofone set intermeshing with edge portions of the other set, said carrierbeing also provided with means for securing it rigidly to a table or thelike.

One difiiculty arising from the use of a sharpener so mounted is thatthe knife or other blade is not or cannot be drawn or moved at theproper angle to the cutting edges of the sharpening means to produce thebest results. Furthermore, where the position of the sharpening means isfixed, only one cutting edge of each disk is utilized whereas accordingto my invention both edges can be used, thus extending the useful lifeof a sharpener materially.

One embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawings accompanying thepresent specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation with aportion broken away,

Figure 2, an end view,

Figure 8, a side view of a modification,

Figure 4:, a top plan view thereof, and

Figure 5, a side view of another modiii cation with a portion brokenaway.

As indicated in the drawings, an embodi ment of my invention includes abase, as 1, provided with holes 2 by means of which the base is securedto a table or the like by screws 3. A sharpening element herein shown asincluding a carrier 6t and sharpening means such as disks or others ofany suitable or well known type is mounted on the base 1 in such a wayas to turn freely thereon, such a connection being effect-ed by anysuitable means, as by a pivot 5. In the form of device illustrated inFigures 1 and 2, the base 1 is shown as a concaved plate, whereas in theembodiment shown in Figure 5, the base 6 is flat and the carrier 7 isdeformed to provide a bearing affording rel.a-

tively little frictional contact between said carrier and said base.

In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4:, a disk carrier 8 isprovided with an extension or arm 9 having an opening 10 near its outerend through which a screw 11 DRSSGS to secure the carrier to a table orother'base 12, said carrier being free to re- Serial No. 56,650.

volve about said screw 11 and therefore adjustable as to its angularposition relative to said base to conform to changes in the direction ofmovement of a blade across the disks.

In the operation of my improved sharpener it will be apparent that, asthe user draws a blade or implement edge across the sharpening means,the carrier will freely turn to such a position that the direction ofmovement of the blade will be approximately normal to the plane orplanes of the sharpenin edge or edges of the sharpening means which isthe proper angular relation for securing the best results withsharpeners of this type and to this extent may be said to be selfaligning with respect to the direction of movement of the blade. It isalso clear that the sharpening element may be turned to present eitheredge of the means or disks to the blade as desired, thus rendering allsharpening edges available for use.

I claim as my invention:

1. A selc' aligning sharpener comprising a base and a sharpening meansmounted thereon and free to change its angular relation with respectthereto in response to variation in the direction of movement of animplement being sharpened.

A self aligning sharpener comprising a base member and a sharpeningmember pivotally secured thereto, one of said members being deformedadjacent to said pivot to provide a relatively restricted area ofcontact between said base member and said sharpening member, saidsharpening memher being free to rotate with respect to said base memberin response to variation in the direction of movement of an implementbeing sharpened.

3. A self aligning sharpener comprising a base member and a sharpeningmember including sharpening means and a carrier therefor, said carrierbeing pivotally connected to said base member and free to rotate inresponse to variation in the direction of movement of an implement as itmoves in operative engagement with the sharpening means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this15th day of September, 1925.

V JOSEPH o. CONN.

